Investigations Editor, The Age

People smugglers are concocting a new and expensive product to sell their asylum seeker clients - flying them into Australia on fake tourist visas to sidestep the harsh policies of both political parties aimed at boat arrivals.

Three separate groups of Iranian asylum seekers in the Indonesian province of West Java have told Fairfax Media that smugglers' agents had approached them in recent days with a plan that comes with a money-back guarantee.

For a price that varies between $US15,000 and $US25,000 a head - three to five times the average boat fare - they will arrange for passengers to fly from Indonesia to Thailand or Malaysia, and then to Australia on a genuine passport with the picture changed to alter the identity.

The smugglers are saying their proposal avoids the Papua New Guinea solution and the opposition's announced plan of no permanent resettlement ever.

''Many Iraqi people already came here [to Indonesia] with illegal passports … now a smuggler is saying, 'We'll prepare for you a tourist visa,''' Mr Binai said.

Once the asylum seekers have landed but before they pass through border control, they are instructed to go to the toilet and destroy the passports, then claim asylum to the first official they meet.

''When you get to Australia you cut the passport and go to immigration and say 'I am a refugee.' They can't send you back then,'' Mr Binai said.

He is planning to return with his family to Iran as a result of the Papua New Guinea solution, but had been quoted $US15,000 for access to the new service.

''The smugglers know how they can open the route to Australia again - from the flights … People are already talking about it.''

Another young Iranian, Ali Bahrani, agreed that ''some of the single people from Pakistan now are just talking about this''.

He had heard a price of $US25,000 for the service, which had been designed because ''in Australia, the rules are just for boats''.

Because the sums are so large, the asylum seekers' money would be held in trust with a third party, called a ''hawaladar'', and released to the smuggler only once the asylum seeker is safely on Australian territory.

It's clear the idea is one of a number being pitched to an audience of desperate asylum seekers dismayed by the Rudd government's Papua New Guinea solution and the tough new policy of the Abbott opposition.

Another idea is a route from Indonesia to New Zealand by boat - a journey the smugglers say will cost $US5000 and take 15 days.

It's clear from what asylum seekers are saying that the new offerings remain in the marketing phase.

A Department of Immigration spokesman said tight security meant few people travelling on false documents ever made it to Australia, but if they did and claimed asylum, ''those [claims] are assessed''.

''These numbers remain small. While DIAC continues to monitor the situation, there has been no noticeable increase,'' the spokesman said.

208 comments

If this is the case why dont Immigration and or Customs board the planes and check everyones passports before they disembark the plane, whilist on the plane they are not officially in Australia yet, Except if it is QANTAS or another Australian carrier? correct me if I am wrong?

Commenter

Rodentz1

Location

Sydney

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 7:54AM

This isn't new tho. It's always been happening. It's just new for the authorities to realize this way. Overseas happens this way. Sometimes it's like I step back in time.

Commenter

Meh1

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 8:09AM

Does not make any difference if was Qantas, another Australian carrier, or a foreign carrier

Commenter

Gary

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 8:16AM

@Rodentz1 ... there's just a little problem that once the plane's landed it's on Australian soil. The passport goes down the toilet before the plane lands & that's the end of that. They can still claim asylum when the officials board the plane.The point is, neither the Noalition nor Labor can keep up with the tactics of the people smuggles. The only solution is a regional one with co-operation of all countries involved with the problem. All we have had from both parties is a "I am tougher than you" policy shift & the latest one announced by the LNP can purely & simply be titled a "xenophobic stimulus package" purely aimed at the bogans of Western Sydney & other fringe seats.

Commenter

Lefty

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 8:32AM

Sounds like Heathrow. Cashed up 'refugees' get to customs and then declare they are seeking asylum. The British government is just as weak on the issue as the Australians.

Commenter

London Calling

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 8:49AM

About the only thing they can do is refuse to process them and allow them entry which means they end up living in the airport. It wouldn't be hard to get a legitimate tourist visa in somebodies name and they would fly through on that passport anyway. I saw this coming farm a mile away. Mostly because 90 percent of all illegal immigrants arrive here by plane and overstay their visas. Once these people arrive and destroy the false passport and claim refugee status the authorities are forced to process them under UNHCR rules.

Commenter

John Michaels

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 9:00AM

A perfect solution to almost anything is impossible. A solution that makes it so difficult only a minority are capable of undertaking it? That's still worth doing. Just because you still get sick doesn't mean you stop washing your hands.

Commenter

Bob

Location

Cambridge, formerly Brisbane

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 9:02AM

What about Asia? Recently there were 100 illegal trafficked sex workers from Asia busted in Melbourne.... that's 100 people..... its been happening for years.

Commenter

Meh1

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 9:04AM

you are right

Commenter

Critic

Location

Perth

Date and time

August 18, 2013, 9:10AM

My experiences as a president of an ethnic community is that the Immigration Department is very tough on such people who come by air as it should be, They should be deported as frauds with destruction of IDs.